Tell Me a Story: Queen's Thief Collection
by Kitty O
Summary: Reposted from tumblr for my 500FollowerBash. All of the filled Queen's Thief prompts are collected here for easy access. Includes: Attolia/Attolis romance, Costis and Eugenides friendship, Costis whump, some Eddis and Sophos, and a bit of Aris. Also gunfire. Spoilers through the series (books 1-4). Complete.
1. Prompt 1

_**A/N: So, when I hit 500 followers on tumblr, I threw a #500FollowerBash and asked people for prompts to fill. They are all filled on tumblr (my URL is kittyorleans), but I thought I should put them in a place that's easier to find. So here they are again. These are all of the QT prompts.**_

**QT Prompt #1: Costis helping a seriously injured Gen to safety - by Anonymous.**

Costis was excessively well-behaved, generally. Or at least he thought so. Sure, he occasionally attacked his king during sparring to prove a point, and admittedly _that_ revealed the king's true nature to his enemies _and_ nearly got him killed… And yes, he had once punched the king in the face. But overall, he was a good soldier who didn't cause trouble and did as he was told, and he was so silent that he could be forgotten about.

But Eugenides always noticed him.

Eugenides saw everything, after all, and Costis was no exception. That wasn't necessarily a good thing – there were many days that Costis wished the king had never even heard his name. But the king saw him, noticed him, and decided that this was the person he wanted to ruin for his own gain. And Costis loved him.

This was how Costis knew that the king saw him in the dirty, small, poorly-lit inn. Costis didn't know which of them walked in first, though Eugenides probably did. Costis was sitting at a table, and when he looked up he spotted the king – a shorter man with a scar on his cheek and a fake hand. He wasn't wearing the hook. Nor was he wearing his usual brightly colored clothes. Costis immediately hunkered down, even though he knew it was too late. The king wasn't looking at him, but what did that prove?

Costis tried to swallow his drink as Eugenides finished his conversation with the bartender, then swooped off the stool with his drink and walked straight towards his misplaced guard.

"I didn't think you were supposed to be here," the king said calmly, sitting down at the mostly empty table.

"My mission took me here," Costis said politely.

"Mine too," said Eugenides. "It's a relief. I was worried my wife had been having me followed and it had taken me this long to notice. My wife, of course, is too smart to send you."

Costis was pretty sure he'd been insulted, but then – he was always pretty sure of that when the king spoke.

Eugenides took a sip. "I meant because I'd always notice you, not because you aren't competent."

Costis nodded and looked towards the doorway. "I believe it's turning out to be more complicated than you originally led me to believe."

Eugenides snorted. "I told you the truth. I am surprised as well by the complications."

And then the gun went off, and the king doubled over.

Naturally Costis was armed, but the space was enclosed, and he instantly decided he'd rather be out than face his enemies. He was on his feet before the king finished gasping in surprise, and then both he and the king were both hunched over the table. The inn's seats were overturning as people jumped to their feet, yelling and causing a chaos. Costis eyed the room for the shooter.

"Did you know that was about to happen?" he asked.

"I find it truly flattering that you seem to think I know everything," said Eugenides.

"I don't see the shooter."

"He's still in here, waiting to see if he's killed me," said the king. He had his arm with the fake hand pressed firmly across his middle. "This hurts quite a bit, but no, I don't think I'm going to die, since you didn't ask."

Costis nodded a bit distractedly. "Did you see the shooter? Was it the man I was here for, or the one you were?"

"He shot me."

"Could be a poor shot."

"Oh, gods, Costis, don't do that thing where you get a sense of humor."

Costis caught the king under the shoulder and leaned in to support him. "Door," he said.

"That's the laconic guard I know," said the king almost thoughtlessly as they straightened. Costis was hoping that the chaos would give them some cover. He was also hoping that the king wasn't too badly hurt. He'd said he wasn't going to die, but that meant nothing. This was the man who hollered over scratches and remained stoic over loss of limb. The king could not be trusted; not ever, but mainly not with his own health. Costis could see some blood on the fake hand. His Majesty was flinching and hunched.

They made it to the door before the bullets started again. One lodged itself into the doorframe – and thank gods (Eugenides, he supposed, but really any deity would do) that handguns were so unreliable. If the attacker had a sword, they might be dead by now. Because the king never wore the stupid hook when it could actually be useful, apparently.

"Did you come on horse?" asked Costis, looking back as the slipped out the door. Once it was open, the people flooded out, which would slow the shooter down. They had perhaps thirty seconds.

"I take back what I said about not dying. I actually suspect I might be."

"Your Majesty!"

"No, no, I walked. You really shouldn't worry, I suppose – the queen can hardly blame you for this. I'm not supposed to be here."

Costis made his way towards the horse that he had ridden in. "Your Majesty, can you ride?"

"No, but that's not because I've been shot."

Costis really didn't think it was so surprising that someone wanted to shoot the king. "Your Majesty," he said in his most patented not-long-suffering voice. "I have come to the conclusion that you can do anything, except perhaps stop laughing at me. So I need you to ride."

Eugenides nearly balked when Costis tried to put him on the horse. "I see no reason to hasten my demise," he said.

"I will throw you onto the saddle," said his loyal and most awed guard, who was really just at the end of his rope.

Eugenides cried out when he moved his side, but he got on the horse.

"You know what you're going to do?" he asked Costis.

"I do," Costis said, which was a blatant lie. And perhaps it was a good thing that the king had just been shot, because if he'd been at full strength and completely aware, he probably wouldn't have believed that.

But then, maybe he knew it was a lie anyway. "I will see you back at the castle?" He looked suspicious, and also in pain. The red was now covering his hand.

"Of course," said Costis, who figured that if it was a lie, the king wouldn't be able to hang him for it.

Eugenides, still bent double, rode off away from the inn, towards his home. Costis watched him go, comforted, but only a little. Still, if anyone could get out of this victorious, it would be the king.

"I'm not promising any more gold cups," he whispered out loud.

He ran for the stables as the next bullet whistled its way into the trees.


	2. Prompt 2

**QT Prompt #2: a story where Costis has to be the one to slip Gen lithium - by Anonymous**

"I think this is all a drawn-out plot to kill me," said Costis as he paced his room, palming the small clay amphora between his two hands. "This whole castle hates me."

"Costis, you might want to be careful with that," Aris said from where he was sprawled in Costis's chair. He'd tried to lay on the bed, being tired after a long day, but Costis had growled at him. "That's not yours. At least, I don't think it is. Do you get to keep it?"

"He hates to be drugged."

"Who likes to be drugged?" asked Aris.

"He's going to tell them to cut my head off," said Costis, sinking down onto his bed.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Aris. "Even if you weren't all friendly with the king, they never cut anyone's head off around here. More likely you'd get hung. Perhaps starved."

"Thanks."

"You know this isn't as big of a deal as you're making it out to be?" Aris asked. "It's not like no one has ever drugged the king before. He's always injured nowadays, and someone's got to make sure he doesn't get up and walk away."

"It always has to be me, though, with the unpleasant job," said Costis.

"No arguments there. I'm just as likely to let him sneak out as anything, especially since he compensates so well."

Costis sighed and glared balefully at his friend before stomping from the room.

Aris watched him go with slight smile. "You don't even know you'll have to drug anyone!" he called after his friend, who didn't respond.

/

Technically, Aris was right. It wasn't that someone had looked at Costis and said, "slip the king some lithium". They had just put him in charge of watching the healing king. At this particular shift. When Costis knew he was most likely to wake up, and also that he had been recently objecting to being given anything that would put him to sleep. And that he had thrown something at the last member of his entourage last time. He'd been half-asleep though, and he never liked his personal servants anyway.

There was no guarantee that the king would wake up, or that if he did, he would give Costis any trouble at all.

All the same, Costis felt like he'd been set up. Sacrificed. Thrown under the carriage.

And of course, the king did wake up, in the wee hours of the night. He didn't seem to have been dreaming – which was always good. No, he just quietly slipped into natural sleep – which he was notoriously easy to wake up from – and then, when Costis shifted and blinked, he opened his eyes.

"Costis," said Eugenides. "You got back." The king had seen him three times since he got back. He must not have been fully awake.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Are you thirsty?" He lifted up the water.

Eugenides looked at the cup, and then laughed. "You saved my life, and they've got you on drugging duty?"

"You're not supposed to be awake," Costis said apologetically. "You're recovering. And I'm sure you would have been fine on your own."

"I don't want it," Eugenides said.

Costis said nothing. He didn't want to upset the king. He didn't like to make him mad – he wasn't stupid, after all.

Eugenides saw the look on Costis's face and sighed, reaching for the water. "One day, I'll stop asking so much of you," he warned. "Then where will you be?" He swallowed the water and went back to sleep.

Costis sat back in the chair that the queen had told him he could sit in during watch, thinking on Eugenides's words. They just went to show that the king really did lie all the time, even when half-asleep.


	3. Prompt 3

**QT Prompt #3: Children with either Gen or Attolia or both. Just them interacting with them. - by and-then-therewerenone.**

When something smacked the king in the face, he didn't even react.

He never reacted unless he meant to, of course – learning how to turn into stone was important for the royalty of Attolia. And no one around here was overly fond of him anyway, so it wasn't like being struck was really all that shocking. And the last time he'd been hit in the face, he'd ended up getting his oldest friends thrown in his dungeons, so he thought perhaps he shouldn't react until he had a grip on this situation.

He turned his head to the side and faced his attacker.

Who turned out to be a four-or-five-year-old boy, clutching the object's twin in his chubby hands.

"Sorry!" cried the child, stumbling over his shoes as he went to retrieve his toy. But as his hand reached out to grab the ball – it disappeared. Looking up in surprise, he saw the man holding his ball – tossing it up and catching it again. "That's mine," he said, more in surprise than anything else.

"Is it?" said the king. "Do you know who I am?"

"The king?" guessed the little boy, looking him up and down.

"Who do you belong to? Baron Andes?"

"That's my grandfather," said the boy.

"Well," said the king. "I'm not just the king. I'm a thief. And that's what thieves do – they take your things and make them theirs."

"That's stealing," said the boy. The king nodded, still throwing the ball and catching it. His other hand stayed at his side. "My mam says stealing is bad."

"Hm," said the king. "She probably has a point. Would you be mad if I took your ball?"

"Yes," said the boy, nodding, putting his hands on his hips.

The king used to have a smile that slipped out easily and would cover his face. Children found it infectious. Now, though, he tried to hold back the grin. "Well, I think I want it more than you do," he said reasonably.

The little boy stared at him in confusion for a moment before noticing the smile that was starting to crawl up the side of the king's face. He lifted his head in triumph. "You're joking," he decided.

The king caught the ball. He bent slightly, as though he was about to tell a secret. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I'll cut you a deal. I'll give you the ball back if you can something for me."

"Like what?" asked the boy warily.

"Well," said the king, holding out the toy – which the boy immediately reached for. The king pulled it back. "Well," he said again as the boy looked on with irritation. "It has to be something I can't do for myself, doesn't it? That's how trading works. And I'm very capable, if I do say so."

"I don't know," said the boy suspiciously. "Mam says you're tricky."

That gave the king pause. "Does she? Here's the trick! I have trouble with juggling."

"Juggling?"

The king held up his previously limp hand to reveal not a hand, but a hook. "Yes, I can only juggle one-handed, and that really doesn't count, don't you think? So if you can juggle for me, I'll let you have this ball back."

The boy's brow furrowed. "But I can't juggle. I don't know how. But I want my ball back."

The king pretended to think for a moment, and then leaned forward, holding out the ball and letting his grin finally show itself. "Would you like me to teach you?"

/

The queen of Attolia found them half an hour later, with the child Andes triumphantly juggling with two balls. The king of Attolia sat on the floor in front of him, looking more relaxed than she'd seen him in a year.

"Soon you'll be able to do it with three," said the king to the child. "But perhaps we should take that slowly."

"Will you show me, Your Majesty?"

"Chances are," the king replied, "there is a man or two at your own villa who can show you, since I am a bit far away – and busy. But I will be checking up on your progress when next I see you, make no mistake." He had a serious tone of voice, but the child only smiled and dropped one of the balls.

"Julius," said the queen. The king didn't react, but the child looked up, surprised to see her.

"Your Majesty," said Julius, bobbing a little bow and nearly falling over himself. He was from a family of vipers, but he was intoxicatingly cute.

"Your mother and father have been looking for you for half an hour. You wandered away."

"Oh!" said the boy. "I should…"

"Probably," agreed the queen, smiling gently. "I'll have one of my attendants take you. Actually, I'll have all of them take you, wouldn't that be fun?"

"Yeah!" he agreed enthusiastically. The queen motioned for her attendants, and they quickly engulfed the happy boy, leading him back to his family – who, to their credit, actually were worried.

The king finally stood up off the floor, brushing himself down one handed. Then he turned to face his wife, and the two of them stood there alone. The queen glanced over his shoulder as the door shut behind her.

"Did you know," asked the king, "that the Baton Andes' daughter thinks I'm tricky?"

"She must be very insightful," said the queen.

"Well, she is the only worthwhile one in the family, currently," agreed the king. "Though I have high hopes for Julius."

"So you taught him to juggle to hone his senses," said the queen, and only the king would know it was a joke.

"No," he admitted. "I just thought it would be fun." And then he stopped. "My queen, is something wrong?"

She quickly put her hands to her side, and her face smoothed. "I wasn't aware you liked children."

"I like some children," said the king, turning away to fix his clothes, which had become wrinkled from the floor. "Clever ones, or sweet ones, or ones that try to pickpocket you even when they know they'll never get away with it. I like clean children," the king added. "I don't enjoy cruel ones or…"

"I'm pregnant," said the queen.

The king stopped, slowly turning back to his wife with a strangely blank expression. Several seconds ticked past as they considered each other. And then the king opened his mouth. "Apologies," he said, "You did…"

"Yes," said the queen, face smooth. "I just said I am going to have your child."

He did not react, just continued to look at her, and she lifted one eyebrow challengingly.

And then his smile nearly split his face. "My dear," he said, dropping his eyes to her stomach. And then he said it again for good measure. "My dear." He took two steps towards her.

She drew herself up tall. "It will probably be terrible, of course," she said. "I will get fat and irritable, and our tempers will wear thin."

"Which should truly shock our attendants," said the king. "Us, with tempers."

She didn't smile at the quip. "And the child will probably be practically drowned in intrigue, and of course it will become sick, as babies tend to do. Small children are quite monstrous, and since it is yours, I expect the entire palace to be at wits' end," she finished.

He nodded along with every word she said, stepping closer to her still. "Are you as excited as I am?" he asked her, still smiling.

She dropped her eyes and looked at the ground, a tiny smile working its way over his mouth.

Even more so, she thought.


	4. Prompt 4

**QT Prompt #4: "Okay, kitty. i think what i really want is these three things. 1, hurt costis. 2, stark, genuine, sincere, positive emotion from gen (maybe with a tinge of regret for not always being so kind to costis) and 3, attolia's support of costis. maybe a side dish of costis and sophos interaction, because really, the poor kid's tortured enough; he needs to know these people really care." - by lady-feste-pendragon.**

"Does that hurt?"

He sucked in air through his teeth, because opening his mouth took too long and he needed air immediately, and didn't answer. He could feel every piece of his body too much. His back. His face. His _shoulder_ – (_Gods, the shoulder –)_

"Does that _hurt_?"

His father used to ask that when he'd fallen and hurt himself when he was little. He wasn't little (he wished he was) and this voice was not the same. This voice wanted him to give something up, to not be able to stand back up again after he fell.

"_Does this hurt_?" snarled the voice, and he felt something moving, turning in –

His shoulder. In his shoulder. It was in his shoulder and it was getting worse and he couldn't do this, he couldn't do it –

"Yes!" Costis cried at last. "Gods, gods, yes, it _hurts_, it hurts…"

He suspected he was crying.

The pain didn't stop, but it didn't get any worse, either.

/

"What are you thinking?" Attolia asked Attolis when the chambers were mostly empty. Eddis wasn't gone, and if she wouldn't go, neither would Sophos who was Sounis.

Attolis looked at the inkpot like he'd like to throw it, but something held him back.

"I am thinking," the king said in a restrained voice, "that there are plenty of competent soldiers I wouldn't mind seeing dead, And yet I brought Costis."

"He's probably not dead," Eddis ventured.

The king of Attolia threw the inkpot. It splattered across the wall, and no one in the room jumped. He was lucky, probably, that he was among three of the perhaps six or seven people living who weren't put off by his rages. Costis didn't like them.

Costis would be dead soon.

Sounis rocked forward on his feet. "Is it a stupid question to ask why you can't get him back if you know who has him?"

"Yes," the king said.

"My king," said Attolia blandly and calmly.

"He _asked_.'

"Gen," Eddis rebuked gently, but without looking at him.

The king looked at Sounis, who was unaffected by his ire. He was far too used to being called stupid. Which was a strange thing, because before he'd been enslaved and collected enough scars to scare small children and learned to kill, Sounis had been quite the scholar. There were many types of stupidity, apparently.

And Attolis possessed more of them than Sounis ever did.

When his heart was less heavy, the king would regret his comment. He never meant to offend. Now, though, he only shook his head. "Getting him back would start a civil war, and he's just a guard. Dying to protect his monarch – that's in his job description, isn't it?"

It was true. The country of Attolia could not afford a civil war, especially not one that the monarchs started. And definitely not over a man named Costis who apparently once punched the king in the face. Sounis had never met the man, anyway, he thought to himself. Why did the thought of not getting the guard back make Sophos feel so sick?

He looked into the other king's eyes for a moment before Eugenides turned away, and he realized. Because that's how Gen felt. If Costis died, it might just break the heart of Attolis.

Sounis took a step back. "You think you have to give him up."

Eugenides turned and walked out without explaining himself. Both queens watched him go, sighing to themselves. But Sounis turned to Attolia, and he asked, "Should I go after him?"

Attolia sat, folding her arms. It took her a long time to answer. "Perhaps," she said at last.

He bowed twice and then he was running after his annux. If this Costis was anything like Sophos, then he wouldn't mind dying for Gen. But…

"He's not dead," Gen said as Sophos caught up with him – the benefit of longer legs.

"Well," said Sophos.

"If he were, that would be that. You don't start wars over dead thieves and soldiers. He's not, though."

Sophos nodded in understanding. Gen didn't want to think that Costis was out there hoping for help, and he was here not planning to send any.

"You know I would never presume to give you advice on how to be king," Sounis said. "Gods know you've done it longer and better than me."

Eugenides's smile was thin and humorless.

"But you don't need to lose everything," Sounis said.

"Lose?" snorted the king. "Don't you know I never lose? I took over three countries."

"You didn't want them," Sounis said. "The only thing you wanted that you got was your wife, and that cost you your home."

"You're getting invasive," warned Gen. "I won't talk to you if you do that."

Attolis was always so sneaky. Sophos didn't understand why he himself was never the one who seemed to benefit from his terribly dangerous plans. "I thought you could do whatever you wanted," he said at last as they reached the king's chambers.

"The Thief of Eddis could do whatever he wanted," Eugenides said. "The king of Attolia has responsibilities." He walked into his room, and since he had not forbidden it, Sophos followed. And then Gen turned and looked at him, and his coat settled around him, and for a moment the whole world stood still for the king of Attolia.

His eyes were dark and there was no trace of his usual lie when he said, "Sophos," (and here Sounis's ears pricked up; Gen never used his birth name anymore), "I have three of my trademark plans – as you think of them – in motion right now. And I would give them up and lose the reward of every one of them if it would bring my guard back safe."

Sophos stared at him, terribly afraid because Eugenides was not lying.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What for this time?" asked Eugenides with a smirk, and Sophos was relieved that the truth was hidden again.

"About your guard."

"As am I. He was doing his job. And I shall do mine."

Sophos hung his head, feeling his (always so tender, damn it all) heart sink lower still.

"So where are my boots?" Eugenides continued. When Sophos looked up in confusion, the king was already at his closet, kneeling.

"What?" asked Sophos eloquently.

"My boots," said Eugenides again. "They aren't the same ones I wore to steal the Gift – I grew out of those. But they look similar."

"Oh, gods," said Sophos. "You're _not_."

"I don't know what action you're referring to," said Eugenides, "but chances are, I will." He grabbed the books with his good hand, threw them to the side and whipped off his finely made coat.

"You getting involved personally wasn't at all what I was suggesting, you know," said Sounis, trying to act like a king and not a boy barely into manhood.

"Yes," said Eugenides. "But I think you were right. The time has come do… whatever I want."

"Isn't this foolhardy?"

The Thief grinned like he was a young boy again, and Sophos would be lying if he said it didn't light his own heart on fire.

/

Costis was trying to think, but it was very cold and that made it difficult.

There was a mat here, but he was on the ground next to it, leaning against the wall. He didn't want to touch the mat – it had blood on it. Wrapping his arms around his legs, Costis breathed. He couldn't breathe too deeply because it made him hurt. His shoulder was the worst – the wound there didn't close, and when the skin pulled it felt like fire.

Was the blood on the mat his?

His ears pricked when he heard footsteps, and his heart began to hammer. He'd been focusing on breathing but now it was hard to keep it under control; he was gasping like he was drowning and he was still cold.

He didn't want to be here.

He wanted to go home.

_He wanted to go home._

The door opened. Costis turned his face away, into the wall, kept his eyes wide open and breathed too hard. They wanted something from him. What did they want?

"I don't know," he muttered to himself. The words slipped past his lips like water in a sieve, like he was a broken dam. "I don't know." But he did, didn't he? That's why he was here, wasn't it? "I don't know, I don't know…"

A hand closed harshly around his arm, and he shut his eyes tightly.

"Please," he rasped. "Don't hurt me anymore."

/

The good thing, Gen had told Sophos, about this situation: if the king couldn't raise a fuss, neither could his enemy. If Costis was to just disappear from captivity, there was no one to complain to.

And then, of course, Attolis would probably have to destroy this house that had taken Costis, because you can't have people in power who are trying to start civil wars, naturally.

Sounis nodded agreeably enough until Eugenides told him that he could not come along.

"Your Majesty," protested Sounis.

"My wife will object to me going at all," said Attolis. "But she will have my head if I get another sovereign killed."

"Will you go alone?"

The thief did not answer, and so Sounis thought perhaps he was considering it.

"I put you in charge of not letting people know I've gone," said the thief. "The court will probably suspect I am sulking, and I'll be back in perhaps a day. Thankfully your face is less easy to read now."

"Is it?" asked Sounis, touching his face. He could forget about the scars sometimes. No one ever said anything, of course, but he suspected he was one ugly bastard.

"Still blushes, though," said Eugenides, and to his eternal embarrassment, Sounis blushed.

Attolis went off in search of Aris, whom Sounis had never met face to face but who apparently had some interest in what was happening. Sounis hoped that the king would take Aris with him, but he had the utmost faith that Eugenides knew what he was doing.

He did as he was told, and everything went well until a little over an hour later, when Sounis was called into Attolia's presence.

She turned around and looked at him, and then she sighed. Sounis made an attempt at smiling.

"Well," she said with no emotion. "At least he had the sense to not take you with him."

/

Attolia sat by herself on the edge of her bed, and ran her fingers up and down her arms. It was chilly in here, she noted, but she did not move to pick up a shawl or to ask someone to stoke the fire.

Her attendants weren't in here now. She'd told them to come back later when it was time for her bath.

Attolia was not a warm woman. She was stone, though she knew her countenance had begun to thaw since her marriage – which, she had to admit, was a relief, since she'd thought she was stuck that way. She could be harsh. And people did not touch her, which was as it should be. Her husband touched her. The Mede had patted her several times, but she suspected he regretted that. She would occasionally extend her touch, to Relius, for example.

Costis had touched her once, when she fainted and her husband had pulled his stitches trying to get to her. The quiet, humorless guard had seen her buckle and actually knocked more than one person to the ground on his way to catch her.

That's what she thought of as she tried to rub warmth into her arms and looked at the wall in front of her. She could see the faint stain of ink that someone had cleaned up. Was that the one she threw on her wedding night?

She hadn't been there when her husband's favorite guard was taken, but she hadn't been far. The queen and king were on their way to meet Sounis and Eddis by the sea, in something close to no-man's land. The other monarchs were to make their way to Attolia, but first the Attolian royalty thought they should be seen by the people. It was sort of like a parade.

And honestly, Costis was there at least partly because if Eugenides was going to be tortured, he wanted someone he could torture in turn.

They'd been almost there, staying overnight in a villa, when the attackers came, and somehow they made it to her room.

Attolia had three daggers in her hair, one at her side, one under her pillow, and two guns in her drawer. Still, she suspected she would dead if Costis hadn't come in then, sword in hand, breathing heavily and telling her she needed to head for the backway.

"Where's my husband?" she'd asked.

"Climbing out the window, last I saw him," Costis said. "He'll be looking for you, Your Majesty – you need to…"

She grabbed one of the guns, the dagger from the pillow, and then she nodded in Costis's direction, and followed his warning. She'd barely closed the door when she heard the door open, and shouting voices.

Someone said, _"Where's the queen?"_ and it was not a friendly voice.

She reached the stairs when she heard the more commotion, and she heard the voice a second time before she was out of earshot: _"Wait, I recognize him."_

She stopped once to look back, and when she did, her husband's voice floated to her, "My dear?"

She turned back around to face him, breathing heavily, gun halfway up in the air. "Eugenides." She said his name like a prayer. She looked him up and down; he was not harmed.

He did the same, and then enveloped her in an embrace.

"Do you know who…?"

"Yes," he said. "I know. Let's get out of here."

And she was safe now, which would make her husband happy. She was sitting in her room, safe and cold, and her husband had left like he was a child thief again who could come and go as he liked.

Provided he came back, she didn't blame him for going. All the same, she wanted him back.

/

When Eugenides opened the door, the man inside noticed. Eugenides could tell – the slouched figure did not move, but every muscle tensed.

It was definitely Costis. He was the right height (taller than the king) and the right build. But half his face was swollen and discolored, and his clothes were streaked red. There was a bandage wrapped around his shoulder that looked relatively fresh, and yet blood had still seeped through. Costis had his raw, red fingers pulled close to his middle, like he could possibly protect himself here.

Eugenides was no stranger to fury, but he couldn't afford to throw something here.

"Costis," he said quietly, silently moving forward. It was proving difficult to be quiet – well, he'd probably annoyed the gods this time. He resolved not to go up on any roofs for a few weeks. When Costis didn't respond to his voice, the king put out a hand and rested it on the injured guard's leg.

Costis started badly, and Eugenides pulled back a step.

Costis was practically vibrating, but his eyes were still closed. "Please," he whispered, and Eugenides didn't think he was talking to any person in particular. "Come on, come on, _please_."

"Costis!" the king snapped, but still quietly.

Fever-bright eyes flew open, and Eugenides realized belatedly that Costis must have been crying earlier – there were streaks down his face.

"Your Majesty," Costis choked out. "Why are you… h-here?"

Eugenides smiled at him like they were co-conspirators. "I'm here to break you out," he said. "But we've got to hurry. Aris is outside with the cart, because they actually use those for wounded people in Attolia."

If he had to bet, he'd say that Costis understood very little of what he just said, but all the same, the guard began to struggle to his feet. After a second, he collapsed back against the wall and sighed heavily and shakily.

"It's okay," Eugenides said, touching the top of his head. "I'll help you." He was still smiling.

Costis tried to emulate the smile. "You've always been so kind," he managed.

The king's smile faltered. "I really haven't, Costis. I really haven't." Eugenides pressed a kingly kiss into the taller's man hair, and together they pulled him to his feet.

They were two steps from the door when Costis's breath caught and he seemed to start panicking. He caught the king's arm, and turned large, frightened eyes towards his savior.

"I don't know," he said.

"Later," said Eugenides.

"I don't know what I told them, if I… I don't know what I said, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter," said Eugenides. Of course it mattered. But he would fix it. He would make it so it didn't matter.

They stepped out the door, and that was the last thing Costis remembered.

/

When he woke up the first time, Aris was there.

"Did I oversleep?" he slurred.

Aris smiled at him widely. "All hail the conscious hero," he said. "Wait, it'll come back to you."

Costis stared at him blankly – and then. "Oh, gods," he said. "Aris, I'm going to – " He gestured desperately towards his throat, gasping and going completely pale.

"I figured," said Aris, handing over the bucket he had at his side. He waited until his friend was done vomiting, then handed over a towel, remembered that Costis's hands were wrapped, and wiped the man's mouth himself. "Want to talk about it?" He handed over a cup of water.

"Like hell I do," said Costis. He drained the cup, which was probably drugged, but who gave a damn. Not him.

Aris grinned, and Costis relaxed right into oblivion.

/

"It's the middle of the night," was the thing Costis said the next time he was awake.

The king took his face out of his hand and looked towards the window. "Yes, it is."

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

The king laughed.

Costis smiled at the ceiling. That was a good sound. "What happened with… everything? The attack?"

"My wife and I, as well as the queen of Eddis and the king of Sounis, are all currently at the palace. Alive and well. A couple of guards were killed in the attack – no one you know, I don't think. The attack was a failure overall."

"Did you… come and get me?" Costis asked blearily, remembering everything in bits and pieces.

"Officially," said Eugenides, "Of course not."

It hurt to chuckle. He must still be drugged – he got the feeling that usually he'd be staring at the king with Disapproval.

"Thank you," he said when the pain was gone again. "Thank you."

The king shook his head. "It is I who should be thanking you for what you've done. But we haven't got all night. Go to sleep, Costis."

Costis went to sleep.

/

He woke up in a panic the next time. The mat had blood on it, he thought. There was blood on the mat, and he didn't want to touch it. He leapt to his feet, but the mat wasn't on the floor where it was supposed to be, and he fell. He staggered to his feet, only to be stopped by a hand, gently placed his chest to stop him. No pressure was applied, and still he stopped short, breathing hard and feeling his hair stick to his forehead with sweat.

He raised his eyes to see who was in the cell with him.

"Lay back down," said the queen of Attolia.

And he did. He closed his eyes and remembered how to breathe normally again. The queen did not offer him any comfort, but she watched him carefully but without alarm – confident that Costis would figure it out himself soon enough.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. He hadn't meant to touch her. But then, had she technically touched him?

She ignored the apology. "You acted admirably," she said, studying the embroidery on her skirt. He didn't ask when she was referring to – that little scene had hardly been admirable. Embarrassing was a better term.

"My husband is not going to ask you," said the queen after a moment, "but it is important. Are you permanently damaged?"

Costis looked down at his body in alarm.

"That's not what I mean," snapped the queen. "Your body should recover, barring complications."

"Oh," said Costis.

"There is no shame in it," said the queen. "But I need to know how you feel."

Costis thought of Relius, and he took a moment to honestly evaluate the question. "I think I'm going to be fine," he said at last. "Your Majesty," he added after a minute.

"I'm glad to hear it." She smiled at him, and Costis wondered if she could see him blush when he realized that she actually was glad.

/

He was finally not drugged, though still mostly bed-ridden, when he woke up and the king of Sounis was next to him.

"Your Majesty," he said, a little confused.

"Hello," said the king, with the bashful air of a person who wasn't quite used being grown yet. It should almost have been a cute greeting, but it most decidedly was not. "Do you know me?"

"Yes," said Costis. "You knocked the king flat on his back in the middle of the courtyard and it made him laugh."

"Were you there for that?"

"No," said Costis, "but I heard." He considered for a moment. "When I did that, I nearly got executed."

Sounis snorted and smiled, and Costis got the feeling once more that this man didn't know how dangerous he looked when he did that.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," said the king, leaning back in his chair. "Gen would have been… sorry to lose you."

Costis didn't know this man, and he was pretty sure that he'd just called the king 'Gen', which was strange. But he was a king, and they were allowed to be odd. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The silence after that was awkward.

"Well," said Sounis, standing up, and Costis eyed him with poorly hidden relief. "It was good to meet you."

Costis nodded deeply. "Forgive me for not bowing, Your Majesty."

Sounis waved his hand, a curiously youthful gesture, and walked out of the room, and at last Costis was alone.

He relaxed back into his pillow and stared at the ceiling. The king would be sorry to lose him? That's what Sounis had said. Costis pondered it for a minute and decided that yes, he would be, and Costis smiled in contentment.

"Ow," he said, his cheek twinging.

Distantly, he wished Attolis were here now, but he didn't let it worry him. His king would come soon enough.


	5. Prompt 5

**QT Prompt #5: Sophos, Helen, and Irene talking about their favorite king? - hiveofsoccermoms**

"There is very little relief for it. I cannot threaten to kill him – do that and the Eddisans look ready to restart the war, and some of my own people look rather hopeful. And then the urge to execute them instead must be resisted. Sounis, are you laughing at me?"

"No, Your Majesty, never. I was just thinking about the time the magus was so angry that he beat the thief with a riding crop."

"That was funny?"

"The funny part was that Gen looked so angry that he actually managed to scare the magus into falling over himself. I think even Pol was nervous."

"He is very strong-willed."

"I can see why you would feel the need to complain about him sometimes."

"Before I married him, your wife warned me that he'd have my court in shambles and people would be coming to me for his blood. It isn't that I didn't believe her, but I certainly didn't understand."

"You're not worried it wasn't worth it?"

"Never. I know it was."

"Speak of the devil – hello, my dear."

"Sophos. Irene. What are you two doing hidden away in the garden?"

"We were simply on a walk."

"And this seemed like a good place to talk about the king without him hearing."

"Why the garden?"

"Well, the queen has asked him not to come here without his attendants after the assassination attempt, and so we thought hiding here would assure that we hear him coming."

"Do you think he's going to heed your request, Irene?"

"I don't know. But I hope so. I know it's hard for him to not be alone, but perhaps he could be alone where it's safer."

"I'm sure it's hard on him that his own garden isn't safe anymore."

"Yes, I'm waiting for him to lose his temper and do something extremely dangerous. I grew too used to having Costis around to watch him, and now I have to worry because he's gone."

"Costis?"

"You remember."

"Yes, Sophos, the guard."

"The babysitter?"

"Is that how my king describes him?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty. I heard from my wife's cousins. Has he left? I thought he was one of those loyal unto death sorts."

"You're projecting, dear."

"You flatter me."

"But there is definite pressure there. It's going to explode eventually."

"We could send him on some sort of vacation. But, you know, the sort where there is subterfuge and stealing. That would probably be quite the break for him."

"I'm not sure Irene appreciates your humor, dear."

"What? Oh, no, I apologize, I was considering other things. Of course your point is both amusing and true."

"Would it be terribly inappropriate for me to say that I look forward to seeing what Gen does if he does decide the pressure is too much? I get the idea that perhaps the people around here aren't as wary of him as they could be."

"Terribly inappropriate, I think."

"I understand, Sophos – but trust me, it's never as satisfying as you think it will be."

"I think I'm going to consider that vacation idea."

"Or we could bring the magus here for a while. He and Eugenides would both be stimulated. And perhaps they would do each other some good. They always seem to."

"The magus would suggest a parade to make him feel better."

"Ornon and the magus would get along well, I think, Helen, have we introduced them?"

"My husband will have the head of the next person who suggests a parade, I think."

"Something will give eventually, I think, Your Majesty. And when it does, we'll be right here."

"Sophos, we're going home next week."

"But we can come back. And then we can either knock him down or punch his face – whatever form of treasonous violence gets him to feel better this time."

"You have a point, Sounis – my husband's pattern is slightly concerning."

"Gen will be Gen."


	6. Prompt 6

**QT Prompt #6: a thing where Costis meets Gen where they are little and he suddenly remembers it one day - by Anonymous**

The king hadn't known that Costis would be angry.

Costis didn't get angry at him very often. Well, perhaps he did, but he didn't often get angry enough to forget himself and show it. He'd been very careful about that sort of thing ever since he punched his sovereign in the face, which Eugenides would occasionally remember and chuckle about. (He'd made a very good choice in Costis.)

Today, though, Costis was angry, and the king was actually surprised. He hadn't even done anything. They had simply been walking down the hall on the way to one of the king's meetings, while Eugenides chattered in the hopes of making Costis say more than five words at a time.

It had worked, because suddenly Costis remembered.

"Oh, yes," the king had said, grinning smugly in the guard's shocked face. That probably made it worse. He hadn't known Costis was about to get angry.

Costis was several years older than the king – really much closer to the queen's age. Eugenides had only been five when they met the first time, so Costis should have been the one who remembered, but he wasn't. A young thief had seen Costis standing next to his father after Gen snuck away from his own mother and wanted to avoid his grown relatives. By the end of the meeting, Gen stole one of the other boy's shoes just to have something to do. A very confused Costis was upbraided by his mother, and young Eugenides threw the shoe away several weeks later, confident that he had gotten away scot-free.

And that was it. That was the entirety of their meeting. Eugenides had remembered it, so in a vague thoughtless way he'd assumed that Costis had too.

Costis had not.

Costis's face went white and then red. The king looked at him in confusion now, unsure why his guard's back had just straightened more than it already was. He looked behind him, half-expecting to see an attacker coming for him. Which is what happened the last time Costis looked at him with a ridiculous expression.

"I did not remember that, Your Majesty," said Costis. "I think you'll be late." There was none of the usual warmth in his not-often-used voice.

"Costis, are you…" Eugenides started, and then stopped.

The guard raised two eyebrows as a way of asking him what was wrong.

"Yes, of course, I'd hate to be late. Never be predictable, right?" Eugenides said. A little bit of him had been hoping that would convince Costis to smile, or at least that the quip would crack the stone that seemed to have hardened around his loyal guard's mouth.

Costis didn't react.

They went to the meeting, but Eugenides was watching Costis the entire time. Most people would find that an impressive feat, since Costis was behind him. But he had his ways. A thief was always aware of his surroundings.

Actually, being a thief had prepared him to be a king in some ways.

And had made it more difficult in others.

All in all, he would say that he would rather be back home, stealing things from underneath people's noses and laughing with Helen, but his old home didn't have his wife. And he wouldn't give her up for even the nicest fibula pins.

Costis stayed angry for the entire meeting. His face kept going red and then white again.

Costis did his job for the rest of the day with polite efficiency. Eugenides teased him twice, both times rewarded with a nod and, if the remark required it, a "Yes, Your Majesty". When Eugenides dismissed him, he turned sharply on his heel and left.

He didn't hesitate at the door.

He didn't smile at any of the attendants.

He didn't look back to check on the king one last time.

The king had bad-mouthed Costis's country until the guard punched him, and he had taunted him mercilessly, and he had driven him to near insanity with worry and exasperation, and he'd nearly ruined Costis's reputation by being able to take care of himself. He had never managed to make Costis this kind of angry, and frankly he was curious as to how he had managed it.

He went to his wife.

She was brushing her hair, having dismissed her own maids, when he took the hairbrush from her hand and began running it through her dark locks.

Gently, she touched her chest, and said, "You startled me." She hadn't outwardly reacted at all.

He didn't apologize. He would run out of apologies if he said he was sorry after time he should.

"I made Costis angry," he said.

"You make people angry a good deal," she said, bemused. "Making people angry has been said to be your defining characteristic."

"Who said that?"

"I am sworn to secrecy, my dear."

"It was Eddis."

The queen only smiled. "I still don't understand your problem," she said.

"I don't know why he's angry. And I do want to know. I'm sure he'll get over it soon enough. It's just not like him, and I don't want to be surprised if this sort of thing…"

His wife caught his fingers in her hand. "It is very unusual," she said. "You should find out why." She felt him relax a little under her touch, and inwardly she smiled fondly. "But I certainly couldn't help you with your guard. Perhaps you should talk to someone who knows him."

Eugenides smiled. "Have I told you recently that I love you?"

She leaned back into him, and he kissed her tenderly. "You have," she said. "But I still like to hear it."

/

"Aristogiton," said the king when the guardsman walked in, and Aris jumped about five feet in the air.

"Your Majesty!" he nearly yelped. And then took a breath. And swallowed. Took another breath.

Eugenides sat calmly and smiled as he waited for the man to collect himself.

"Your Majesty, I apologize. I was just surprised to see you. You're sitting on my bed, and I didn't expect you to be. Here. At all. Your Majesty." He shrugged a little sheepishly. Aris viewed the king with apprehension, like he was a stubborn dog that might at any point in time decide to get drunk and climb the roof, but Eugenides also knew that Aris didn't hate him. "Was there something you wanted me to do, Your Majesty?"

"As a matter of fact," said Eugenides. "You're friends with my guard, right?"

"You mean Costis? Yes, we're friends."

"It's come to my attention that something is bothering him, and I thought you could enlighten me."

Aris thought. "How long has it been bothering him, Your Majesty?"

"Since this morning, when we went to my meeting."

"I haven't talked to him since the day before yesterday. I only saw him briefly this afternoon, Your Majesty; I'm sorry. But Costis likes to talk about things that bother him. At length." He smirked a little to himself, and then continued, "He would certainly tell you himself if you asked."

"Thank you, Aristogiton," said the king, and moved for the door. Aris stood behind him, watching him go and chewing his lip.

"Your Majesty?"

"Is there something more?" Eugenides turned around, adjusting his hook with his real hand. Aris eyed it, and then dragged his gaze to the king's face.

"Costis… is a really good man. A really good one. And he doesn't hold resentment, but…" He didn't want to say whatever he was thinking, and so the king just kept watching him impassively. Long gone were the days when people would just openly insult him. Now they got nervous about it. "But when you had him promoted, that changed things for him. His whole life. He thought he'd ruined his family at first, and then all the men treated him differently, and his reputation has had holes blown in it, and you know how Costis feels about reputation. This was never how he thought his life would go, Your Majesty, and it has been very hard for him."

"Thank you," said Eugenides, and nodded. "I know."

He left.

/

"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?"

"Costis, why are you angry?"

Costis wasn't usually so still. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're…"

"Do not lie to me. I know you're angry, even if you don't say so out loud."

"My king. I don't want to discuss it, because I don't think it will help."

"I just don't know why. We were discussing the fact that we met once as children, which you forgot, and then you were angry. And you've been angry off and on since then."

"I don't want to tell you."

"Well," said the king, drawing himself up in his chair, his gaze sharpening. "I'm ordering you to. Refusing to answer me now would be…"

Costis took a deep breath and made a decision. "How long have you been planning_ my life_?"

The king blinked. "What?"

Costis's dam had broken, and he ran his fingers over his face before he went on, "I thought my life was something I had planned. I thought I had dreams and so I joined the guard. And then I learn that you planned to make me lose my temper because you had plans for what you wanted me to do, but that was only a year ago. I just thought you were capricious and I was thankful to be alive. You have been planning what you wanted to do with me since we were children, haven't you?"

"No," said the king, comprehension rapidly dawning. "No, Costis, I've only been jerking you around like a dog on a chain for the one year, if you were wondering. I haven't been orchestrating your life behind your back. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"Yes," said the guard honestly, shifting on his feet. He was deflated and the red had left his face. He seemed a little embarrassed. "That's all I wanted to know."

Eugenides nodded. There was nothing else to say.

"I'm sorry –" started the guard, but the king shook his head emphatically.

"You didn't do anything you need to apologize for," said the king. "Don't."

And he didn't apologize either.


End file.
